A Global Mawlid Mixtape
35 Songs of Praise in Honor of the Prophet Muhammad’s Birth ﷺ
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On the 12th day of the third month of the Islamic calendar, Rabi al-Awal (Dec. 23rd — Jan. 20th this year), Muslims throughout the world celebrate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ with poetry, in song, with national holidays and in public ceremonies and gatherings. We wanted to give you a taste of this global tapestry of remembrances from the classical Arabic poems that praise his characteristics, up to contemporary Hip Hop and even country music that sing his praises (Peace be upon him)ﷺ.
2020 Album of the Year Goes to — The Pearls of Islam — Love is My Foundation
One of my favorites by Alman Nusrat, recorded at the blessed Lighthouse Mosque in Oakland, California
Caravan of Praise
Caravan of Praise is a new group from Malaysia that just formed in 2015, check out this beautiful performance from Singapore.
Al Firdaus Ensemble — Celtic Salawat
Check out this beautiful song and video in praise of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ using traditional Celtic music.
Kareem Salama — Traveling Light
This year with the Mawlid falling close to Christmas and Hannukah the Muslim American country singer Kareem Salama put out this new acoustic track for this occasion.
Beautiful Salawat from Ethiopia and Djibouti
The Burda of al-Busari
One of the most recited praise poems in honor of the Prophet Muhammad is the “Qasida Burda” by Imam al-Busari an Egyptian poet of Moroccan descent (1211—1294). This 10 chapter poem has been sang throughout the world for the last 700 years, check out this rendition of the first chapter by the Fez Singers.
For a beautiful English rendition of the Burdah check out this version with Raef and Dawud Wharnsby
The Shimmering Light — The Mawlid of Habib Umar
One of the most regularly performed Mawlids that is sang weekly from California to Indonesia is the Mawlid of Habib Umar bin Hafiz, the director of Dar al Mustafa in Tarim, Yemen.
The Names of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
In this short clip from the Minara Fellowship we hear many of the beautiful names of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ recited.
“Madha Morisco” — Al Firdaus Ensemble
This beautiful song is taken from a manuscript found hidden in a false ceiling when a Spanish house was restored in 1882. Written in the 17th century at a time when Muslims had to disguise their identity in Spain after the kingdom of Spain forced the removal of all Jewish and Muslim peoples in 1609. Directed by Amar Chebib this music video is an aural delight as we travel through Andalusia with Al Firdaus Ensemble, a group of musicians from England, Spain and Morocco whose music “expresses the memory of the world we come from and the one we are headed towards. Their original compositions combine Western music with Celtic and flamenco influences, as well as arrangements of songs from the traditions of the Sufis, Al-Andalus and Turkey.”
Debu
Debu is a truly global band, based in Indonesia with many American converts to Islam, they have songs in Indonesian, Turkish, Arabic, Spanish, English, Persian and Chinese. This song is from their 2007 album “Palace Troubadour.”
The Burdah Initiative: Pearls of Islam, Baraka Blue and Ahmad Ikhlas
Filmed at Rumi’s Cave in London this beautiful jam session was luckily caught on tape and has since found its way around the world online. Featuring the Pearls of Islam, the American rapper and poet Baraka Blue and Ahmad Ikhlas, the power of this moment at Rumi’s Cave comes through the screen for the world to experience.
The Mawlid Barzanji Cape Town Style
Beautiful recitation of the Mawlid Barzanji at the Azzavia mosque in Walmer Estate, Cape Town, South Africa. The Mawlid Barzanji was written by the Madinite jurist Jaʿfar b. Ḥasan al-Barzanjī (d. 1317 AH / 1899 CE) and is a poem with a detailed description of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ from his lineage to his characteristics. Recited here in a unique Capetonian style of recitation — click the photo to listen.
“We are Present in the Garden of The Messenger”— The Diwan of Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Al Habib—Laleh Ladies — Cambridge, UK
Absolutely stunning recording we found on SoundCloud of a group called the Laleh Ladies, “recorded a couple of years ago in a Cambridge college chapel as part of a interfaith sacred music project.”
Kareem Salaam — “If I Could”
Good old Muslim country music… beautiful track from the Los Angeles based Muslim country singer, Kareem Salama.
“Beloved,” by Baraka Blue
One of the most beautiful poems in the English language about the Prophet ﷺ, “’Beloved’ is based on a passage in Imam Ghazali’s Ihya Uloom Id-deen, where he describes the character of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).”
Ya Imam Al Rusli Ya Sanad — يا إمام الرسل يا سندي
Az-Zahra Ensemble
Mawlid Turkey— Meelad un Nabi
Sudanese Mawlid
Raihan — “Ya Rasulullah”
Shane Atkinson’s Southern Fried Qasida — “Beg, Plead, Pray”
Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) & Youssou N’Dour “The Beloved”
Nader Khan— Blue’s Style Qasida
Maher Zain— “Ya Nabi Salam Alayka (International Version)”
One of the most popular songs in this mixtape today, it has more than 10 million views on YouTube alone. Sang in Urdu, Arabic, English, and Turkish, Maher Zain made this video to reach a truly global audience.
Sidi Yassir — “Salam Alykum”
Qawwali, Nasheed and Naat
Lupe Fiasco — “Muhammad Walks”
Debu — “The Prophet’s Path”
Ahmad Ikhlas — “Night Journey”
Qad Kafani ‘ilmu Rabbi (My Lord’s Knowledge Has Sufficed Me)
This beautiful poem was written by Imam al-Hadad from Tarim, Yemen. There are a number of beautiful renditions online, this is one of our favorites. (Full english translation here)
Mouaz Al-Nass — قمر سيدنا النبي
Fanaa Fillah — Habib Umar, Usama Canon and Shaykh Yahya Rhodus
Singapore Haqqani Ensemble — Bushra Lana
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